Fire injures man, kills birds at local sanctuary

PHILIP KAMRASSVictoria is a bald eagle who was rescued from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska in 1989, and was brought to the Berkshire Bird Paradise in Grafton where he has lived ever since, and is shown on Wednesday June 30, 2010. One of Victoria's three babies, soon to be released, is shown at left. U.S. Navy SEALs are trying to nurse back to health a steppe eagle, not shown, that was shot and wounded by an Afghan soldier recently in Afghanistan, and are trying to arrange to have it brought to Grafton, since it can't fly or survive in the wild anymore. (Philip Kamrass / Times Union )

Arnold LeFevre/Times Union Historic ImagesBerkshire Bird Paradise near Grafton, New York - Pete Dubacher talks to a couple of parrots at his Bird Paradise. Possible people page if not used in .. section. August 23, 1989 (Arnold LeFevre/Times Union Archive)

Courtesy Berkshire Bird ParadiseCharles is an emu that lives at the Berkshire Bird Paradise in Rensselaer County.

Courtesy SUNY PressCover of "Feathers of Hope," by Altamont author Barbara Chepaitis, which chronicles the efforts at rescuing and rehabilitating wounded eagles by Pete Dubacher at the Berkshire Bird Paradise in Grafton, Rensselaer County.

Lori Van BurenMitch, the wounded steppe eagle from Afghanistan whom Navy SEALs nursed back to health, gets used to his new digs at at the Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary in Petersburgh, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

PETERSBURGH — A fire at the Berkshire Bird Paradise killed several birds and injured a caretaker late Thursday night, the sanctuary said Friday.

An electrical fire erupted in the parrot pavilion but was noticed in time for staff to rescue some of the birds, the sanctuary said in a Facebook post. The structure suffered some smoke damage.

Peter Dubacher, director of the Berkshire Bird Paradise, was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and stress after he rushed into the burning pavilion to rescue the birds, the sanctuary said. The Facebook post said he is "not in critical condition."

Staff members and volunteers temporarily moved its surviving birds into a house on Friday so crews could assess the damage and begin to rebuild.

"We thank all of the EMTs, firefighters, police and everyone who showed up last night to lend a hand with the moving and catching of the birds, as well as moral and emotional support," the sanctuary said in its Facebook post.

A GoFundMe page will eventually be made to support the cost of cleanup and bird feed. The sanctuary is also encouraging people to volunteer their time. Learn more about the sanctuary at birdparadise.org.

TheBerkshire Bird Paradise is located in rural Petersburgh, Rensselaer County, near Grafton Lake State Park. Open since 1975, it provides a save haven for disabled and injured birds.

Emily Masters is a web content producer managing the Times Union homepage and social media accounts on the late shift. She also reports on cold cases and missing people. Contact her at emasters@timesunion.com or 518-454-5467.